The Blue Mongoose
by BevellaClearlyNotKnown
Summary: There is a bar, on a street, in New York City, where an angel sings. A fallen angel. He doesn't know who she is, only that she will change his world, unlike anyone ever could. Comedian/OC. 'M' for later chapters.
1. Smoke in the Air

_A/N: This is a story of the Comedian, and what would have happened if his 'about face' had been sooner. We all know what happened between him and Sally Jupiter, but the second time, when Laurie was conceived, was completely different. He managed to redeem himself near the end of his story in the Watchmen. Let's face it, he was a complete dick. But imagine his about face happened sooner. Like, right after he returned home from raping Sally. Obviously it's AU, and in this world Ozymandias was stopped before detonating any of his devices. The Watchmen disbanded because of his betrayal. And because I'm in charge, this is set in a more modern 80's ish timeline._

* * *

He made a pact, never again would he force himself on a woman. He would make sure she wanted it; she would have to beg him to love her. Or perhaps he would be the first to fall…

He felt disgusted. He was worse than the men he had killed. He was a monster. She had trusted him, and he had lost control. The shrinks liked to say if you knew something was wrong with you, you were halfway cured.

Well he'd known he was pretty messed up in the brain before now, but this only drove it home. In a big-ass Cadillac sedan.

The next Saturday night he found himself wandering the streets. He stopped and looked up, he was at 27th and 3rd. Music was wafting out of a building straight ahead, a bluish light spilled out onto the sidewalk from a sign above, reading:

"The Blue Mongoose"

He shrugged and walked in, he could use a drink anyway.

He walked up to the bar and ordered a whiskey and jack, straight up.

He sat down and turned to face the stage where the music was coming from.

He was glad he hadn't gotten his drink yet, he would have likely dropped it, after seeing the stunner on stage.

The first thing that caught his eye was her eyes. He was more of a leg man, but this girl, woman, had the biggest brown eyes, made-up to stand out. She sung into the microphone like it was a lover she was calling back to bed. Next he noticed the auburn waves cascading down her shoulders, and gently flipping at the ends. She leaned forward over the mic, and her bangs fell across her face, hiding her left eye. It made her look mysterious. She also had curves everywhere. The sky blue silk knee-length dress she wore showed them off to everyman's delight. The shortness of the dress let him see her legs; they looked longer than they were thanks to the black kitten heels she wore. The lowcut neck and cap sleeves emphasized her lovely neck, and the fact she wasn't wearing any jewelry.

Light pink, pouty and full lips opened to show white, but interestingly crooked teeth. She finished the song, stood and gave a small bow. The light blue spotlight on her went out.

He turned to the bar counter again, grabbed his drink and downed in two swallows.

"I'll have another, stronger." He rasped out.

He turned away from the stage completely. He didn't need to be getting involved with that girl. She probably had dozens of boys after her. She looked barely 18 for god's sake. He needed to stay away from women. As soon as he finished this drink, he'd be gone. Just another poor sap that needed a drink to make it through a lonely Saturday night.

The stage stunner's name was Natalie. But at the Blue Mongoose, she went by Ally.

As she sat backstage, rubbing off most of her heavy makeup, Natalie wondered about the large bruiser she'd seen during her final song.

He looked like he'd watched someone die. The sadness was nearly carved into his face.

"Issit alright if I smoke in here?" Edward growled, and the barman just nodded.

He pulled out one of his Stogy's and lit up. Nothing beat a good cigar and a strong drink. He breathed deeply, and then nearly choked. The girl from the stage was walking toward the bar. She had taken off her makeup and she looked nearly 5 years younger.

She sat down and smiled at the barman,

"Just a Manhattan for me Mike."

"Sure thing honey."

He raised his eyebrows, mostly to himself, and shook his head. However, this caught the girl's attention.

"Got a light?" her speaking voice was huskier than her singing one, as she held out a dainty cigarette, which smelled faintly of mint.

"You shouldn't smoke, it'll kill ya," He muttered.

She smiled that devastating smile at him and all he could do was blink as she plucked his cigar from his mouth, and held it to the end of her cigarette as she inhaled deeply.

The end glowed orange and she pulled the cigar back, and held it out to him.

He took it, still watching her lips. They puckered just so around the cigarette as she sucked in another drag.

She blew out the smoke, giggling as it dissipated before forming a ring.

"I never can do that trick." She said quietly.

"Here you go honey, extra strong." The barman held out a tall skinny glass, with a blood red straw in it.

"You can't drink through a straw. It'll burn all the way down." He felt stupid trying to talk to her, but found himself unable to say anything more intelligent.

She turned her brown eyes back to his face,

"Oh? Maybe that's why I use a straw, cause I want it to burn? Did you ever think about that, cowboy?" she smiled around the straw. "So what's your story? I've never seen you here before, and I know everyone who comes here."

He grimaced. She was clearly trying to be politely curious, but he needed to get out of there before this went any further.

"I'm nobody. Thanks for the send off song. 'Night."

He stood, slammed the rest of his drink down, and thunked the glass down on the bar, along with a ten.

"Keep the change Mike." He said gruffly, nodding to the barman, who stood at the end of the bar, warily watching him.

A curt nod was the response he got.

* * *

_A/N 2: I know its bad luck to post a story that isn't complete...but i just couldn't wait any longer. I really am proud of this story, and i hope you all like it. I hope my OC isn't too mary sue-ish, but if she seems it, trust me there's good reason.__  
_

_Thanks for reading as always! R/R.  
_


	2. Ice Cold Veins

_A/N: This is a story of the Comedian, and what would have happened if his 'about face' had been sooner. We all know what happened between him and Sally Jupiter, but the second time, when Laurie was conceived, was completely different. He managed to redeem himself near the end of his story in the Watchmen. Let's face it, he was a complete dick. But imagine his about face happened sooner. Like, right after he returned home from raping Sally. Obviously it's AU, and in this world Ozymandias was stopped before detonating any of his devices. The Watchmen disbanded because of his betrayal. And because I'm in charge, this is set in a more modern 80's ish timeline._

* * *

Minutes later he was 10 blocks away wondering what the hell he'd gotten himself into. The minty scent of the girl's cigarette seemed to follow him in the crisp night air, mocking him.

* * *

"What the hell was that?" Mike said, staring directly into Ally's eyes.

"How should I know? I was just trying to be polite. That man's troubled. I could see it in his eyes, his face, even the way he sat. He'll be back." She finished with a dreamy smile.

She took a deep drag of her cigarette, leaned back in the seat and closed her eyes, challenging herself as to how long she could hold it in. 27 seconds later she exhaled. The high was amazing. Who knew how wonderful spearmint could be when smoked?

* * *

After reaching his apartment, number 3001, he slammed the door shut, not caring how many down the hall woke. He couldn't give a rat's ass for what those people thought. The fact that girl tonight had nearly made him break his vow was driving him crazy.

He could still see her eyes, seeming to bore into his soul. He wished he could have felt the silky smooth skin of her bare arms, smelled her hair as it brushed his face, the picture of ecstasy that she would wear as she rode him, those perfect curves fitting right into his hands…

He shook himself. This was not helping. The thought of a cold shower came to his lust filled brain and he headed for his bathroom, shedding clothing as he walked.

The cold spray brought back a sense of calm to his mind, but before he could stop himself, his hand reached for the knob, turning it to warm as his teeth began to chatter.

As it warmed up, he could have sworn he caught her scent again. Within seconds he was hard, and he groaned as he took his erection into his hand, using only a minimal amount of bar soap, he stroked himself only a few times with the image of her blue dress splitting open while she sang, her breasts heaving with each deep breath, and he came with a shout, splattering the shower tiles with his seed.

He shut the water off, the final image of her smoking a cigarette, wearing nothing but those black kitten heels nearly driving him mad yet again.

* * *

Natalie reached into her fridge, finding the plastic wrapped bar easily. The few friends she had made in college had taught her one valuable life lesson, a frozen Milky Way was infinitely better than a room temperature one.

As soon as she finished her frozen treat, she went out onto the balcony of her apartment. The city at night was much more beautiful than in the day. The harsh light of day gave no mercy to the filthy streets, dirty gutters, and angry people. At night, everything was bathed with a silver glow from the moon, and the lights from the buildings made the city seem to sparkle like the stars in the night sky.

She leaned on the railing and sighed.

"Someday." Someday the city would be cleaned up, and brought back to its former glory, when superheroes roamed the streets, protecting and helping, all from the goodness of their hearts. Nowadays the police could barely keep up with the crime. The superheroes from Natalie's childhood had faded away into a distant memory. The Watchmen, as they were once called, had disbanded almost 3 years previous, after one of its members was arrested for nearly destroying the entire American Eastern seaboard.

Natalie's ideal career had been one in law enforcement, but that sort of job was very dangerous, and didn't pay enough to cover the rent in any relatively safe part of the city. Her two older brothers were police, but she never saw them except for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Her parents had been lawyers in their heyday, but were both retired and living happily in southern Florida. Blissfully unaware of their daughters true job.

She always maintained the front of being a fashion journalist, but in truth she borrowed that idea from a movie character she'd felt she related to. Singing old songs in a bar was a far cry from respectable, especially when she sometimes had 'dinner' with certain regulars. Most of them had mob connections, but she didn't really want to know too much about that.

Her motto was 'don't ask, don't tell.'

* * *

_A/N 2: I know its bad luck to post a story that isn't complete...but i just couldn't wait any longer. I really am proud of this story, and i hope you all like it. I hope my OC isn't too mary sue-ish, but if she seems it, trust me there's good reason.__  
_

_Thanks for reading as always! R/R.  
_


	3. Waves & Lightening

The calm ocean waves and thunderstorm sounds emitting from her cellphone woke her. Natalie could have sworn she set it to end after 45 minutes but it appeared she was mistaken.

Squinting, she sighed when she saw the time, barely 4 a.m.

She laid back against the sheets, absentmindedly cracking her knuckles, a habit her mother detested. She always said she'd never get a date, because 'No man likes to here a woman snap and pop like that ridiculous cereal!'

She smiled as she pictured her mother, rolling her eyes in exasperation at her tomboyish antics. If only her mother knew how girly she'd ended up turning out.

Her cell chirped, and she snapped her eyes open, turning to look at the screen.

Mike had texted her,

-**U get home OK?**- sent 4:15a.m.-

She laughed. A little late to be asking, she had left the bar at midnight.

-**Yep. Of course. Y R U asking so late? I shdnt even b awake -_- **- sent 4:16a.m.

She sat up. Now she certainly wouldn't be going back to sleep, so she might as well make herself some tea. Her room always got chilly the moment the sun set.

As she padded into the kitchen in her black slippers, that had been a gift from her brother, the police commissioner, she felt her cell vibrate and chirp again.

-**Can U possibly wrk 2morow nite?- **sent 4:18a.m.

Sunday was usually her day off, so she frowned slightly.

-**Got some1 special coming in?-** sent 4:19a.m.

-**Yes.- **4:21a.m.

"Wow. Brilliantly detailed reply Mike." Natalie grew impatient and pressed TALK.

7 rings later…

"Hello?"

"Seriously? Why are you texting me this now?"

"Oh don't be all huffy. It's not like you have church in the morning…do you?" his voice was unsure, but she laughed.

"No. I don't. I'll be free by 3pmish. Is that early enough?"

"Yes ma'am. I'm sorry to have to ruin your Sunday. I'll give Ruby your spot Monday and you can have it off instead."

"Sure thing. It's no big deal. See you tomorrow."

* * *

Monday morning, at around 1a.m. Natalie stumbled her way down the hall. She had nearly sung herself hoarse to be heard over the crowd. Turns out Mike had needed her because a bunch of those mobsters were celebrating someone's retirement. The bar had been packed so full it was nearly a fire hazard. The room had been so smoky she could have passed out had she not been a smoker herself.

She rubbed her eyes, sighing in dismay as she saw black on her hands. She'd forgotten about her eye-makeup.

"Shower time." She muttered to herself, kicking off her heels and walking towards her bathroom, grabbing her evergreen bathrobe off her bedspread on the way.

The hot water seemed to ease a bit of the tension in her shoulders, but she knew she'd probably still need a massage sometime in the next week.

She toweled off, rubbing her hair and scrunching it to make sure it kept some waves, and slipped on an oversized t-shirt, before nearly falling into bed, exhausted.

Natalie slept soundly til a bird chirping woke her up. She glanced over at her clock, barely past 10 a.m. She laid back and yawned a bit. Today was the first Monday she had been off in nearly 4 months. She was so used to working Mon-Fri it wasn't funny.

She lifted up a hand, looking closely at her nails; perhaps she could go out and get them done. She never spent much money on herself, most of it went straight towards the apartment or her car. Last night she had made a whole week's salary in tips alone, she could afford one day of fun.

* * *

_Thanks for reading as always! R/R.  
_


	4. Fluorescent Lights & Red Nails

Edward woke with a hangover that felt like he'd been sucker punched by Rorschach. The little bastard could pack quite a punch if he felt like it. 'Damn, I miss those guys.' He thought to himself, reaching into his bedside drawer for a cigar and his lighter.

The Watchmen had broken up only a few years ago, but it felt like decades to him. They were almost like a dysfunctional family to him, and he was able to be himself around most of them.

As he walked out to the kitchen, the sun's rays were just beginning to pierce through the heavy curtains around his apartment. He had gotten them for privacy, but they made him feel like he lived in a cave. It wasn't daylight til nearly noon for him. Those who roamed the streets at night like owls, tended to sleep in the day like owls.

He cracked open his fridge, nothing terribly exciting awaited him; a couple beers, half a gallon of likely spoilt milk, and half a can of chili stared back at him. He needed to go to the store before he went broke from eating out, or got sick from expired food.

He went into the bathroom, splashed some water on his face, and rinsed his mouth with a swig of whiskey from the medicine cabinet, and he was out the door.

* * *

Natalie walked out of the salon, her nails painted a glorious ruby red and her hands feeling freshly pampered. Now it was time for a little grocery shopping. The little corner market right next to her apartment building was the perfect place for all the essentials. The sweet Indian couple who ran it smiled at her as she breezed through the door.

"Hello Miss Natalie." The woman said, and her husband echoed the greeting.

"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Roy. What specials have you got for me today?"

It was their little joke; they always managed to pull out something for her that she'd needed. Today it was a package of fabulous looking tortellini. She'd been experimenting with Italian cooking lately, and needed a good recipe for a dish she could make that would last the week.

As she was walking down the aisle, trying to decide which kind of pasta sauce to use, she heard the bell ding, and as she looked up she saw a huge figure enter the store.

Curiosity getting the better of her, she slowly walked to the front of the aisle to peer around and see who the stranger was.

She was amazed to see the same bruiser from the bar last Saturday night, the one she'd called 'cowboy' and shared a cigarette with.

She cleared her throat and watched as he turned to see her, recognition dawning on his face.

She smiled at him,

"Fancy meeting you here stranger."

* * *

Vanilla, and earthy tones like cashmere were the scents that bemused and bewildered him at the sight of the siren from the bar he had stumbled into two nights before. She had on only a simple sundress and high heeled sandals, but looked like an angel. Her long auburn hair hung down in waves, and as she reached up to brush her bangs out of her eyes, he noticed she had vixen-like red nails. What he wouldn't give to have those hands on him, everywhere he could beg her for.

He coughed, and tried to act casual, like he hadn't been following her since he saw her walking towards the same grocery store he shopped at. Clearly she lived somewhere close, but he couldn't risk her finding him out. Perhaps it was already too late, perhaps she recognized him from…but she couldn't. He'd gotten some work done just in case any of his and the Watchmen's former enemies came looking to pick off the retired heroes. He looked more like one of the fellows from 'Diner' than his former self. Except for his hair, he hadn't been willing to start dying it.

"And yet we did meet. I never got your name the other night." He said gruffly, hoping she wouldn't notice the fact he left out his name.

She grinned at him,

"I go by Ally at the club, but that's just my stage nickname. My real name is Natalie. Natalie Vicks." She switched her basket to her other hand and stuck out her right for a handshake.

"Natalie. That's a nice name. Do you only sing at the club or do you have other hidden talents?"

Her left eyebrow rose of its own accord, and she found herself nearly speechless.

"Um, I didn't mean that like it sounded…or I guess maybe I did. I'm sorry; I'm not very good at this, casual conversation." He ran a hand through his hair distractedly.

* * *

_Thanks for reading as always! R/R.  
_


	5. Gelled Hair & Bespectacled Fools

Natalie wasn't sure if it was the store, or just her, but where she was standing seemed to heat up a few degrees and she felt her hair beginning to stick to the back of her neck.

"Well it was nice meeting you, Natalie. I've gotta be going now. You take care of yourself."

"Thank you. You too."

He was gone by the time she looked down to check and make sure she had everything she needed in her basket.

'Hmm. I didn't get his name. Woops.' She thought to herself, but quickly walked up to the checkout counter, certain the Roy's would know him.

"Who was that?"

They exchanged a look, and turned back to her.

"That was Mister Blake. He was a hero in the old days. Now he retired. He shops here twice a week. But not recently. He has not been in here for nearly four weeks."

"Thank you for your help."

Bags in hand, she began her trek back up to her apartment, her mind racing.

'Mister Blake' a hero? How many heroes had that last name, stature, and weakness for bars? Only one she knew of.

* * *

"Dammit!" Ed swore out loud. Once he had returned to his apartment he realized how foolish he'd been. The couple who ran the store knew him, and if the girl asked them, he knew they wouldn't hesitate to reveal his identity to her. She looked trustworthy, among other things. He couldn't get her face out of his mind. When he'd asked her what else she did, he hoped there was some sort of secret back room to the bar where she danced and sang, in less clothing.

Those sorts of places were where he used to frequent, but nowadays he was unable to afford them. The girls, money, and guns that came with the fame of being a superhero had faded over the years, especially now he was unrecognizable, not something he regretted, he didn't have any privileges like that anymore.

* * *

No wonder the guy looked like he'd seen death.

He had.

He had also brought about plenty of deaths, according to the papers her parents had read back then, the Watchmen had had a hand in most of the wars that America had gotten itself into. Most of the time they helped bring about the end sooner, and with less American lives lost.

But not all the time.

After all, the Watchmen were still only human…with the exception of Dr. Manhattan, rendered superhuman from a radiation accident.

Natalie sighed as she set her bags down. Mister Blake, or more accurately, Edward Blake, was a man in need of serious therapy, but he would obviously never sink that low. She knew that in his mind, it was only a coward who submitted to being psychoanalyzed by some bespectacled, hair gelled, and clipboard clutching fool with a Harvard degree and 20 dollar socks.

Unfortunately, she agreed, but he would still need to talk to someone. She hoped to be there at the right moment when he decided to open up.

She walked back towards her room, stunned at how fast her day off had slipped by. Bright and early tomorrow she would be heading back to the Blue Mongoose, and she hoped Edward Blake might stumble in again.

* * *

_Thanks for reading as always! R/R.  
_


	6. Ruling the World

Ed shuffled into his kitchen, the suns bright rays streaming through the window, reflecting off the island's chrome counter top. Living on the 30th floor had a disadvantage of being in direct line with the sunrise.

As he began to brew up some severely strong coffee, he couldn't stop his mind from straying to the stunner Natalie. What was she doing? Perhaps waking up as well? Slinking out of her bed, wearing what? A slip of a nightgown? Most likely silk, based on much of what he'd seen her in. As she left the warmth of her bed, perhaps her breasts would rise as she inhaled the fresh morning air, throwing open a window in her own kitchen. Yes, she seemed the type to greet the day with a smile, not as he did with a grimace.

The truth was, she got up before the sun, so his fantasy was a bit off.

He rubbed a hand over his face, feeling the scratch of his morning stubble, and he tried his best to put the image of her bending over his kitchen island, wearing nothing but that short white silk nightgown…

'Dirty old man.' He thought to himself, as he downed his mug of bitterly strong coffee.

He was going to need a cold shower again, pronto.

* * *

The first few bars of the song began, and Natalie couldn't help swaying a bit, the silky soft fabric of her golden dress caressing her hips and thighs like she wished a certain man might.

"If I ruled the world…" she sang, her eyes falling shut as she melted into the song, the words coming as easily as breathing.

With her eyes shut, she didn't notice a certain ex-superhero slip in the bar, and as the music swelled, and she finished the chorus, she leaned forward over the microphone, her lips just barely brushing the metal.

Ed leaned back on the bar-stool, marveling at the way the girl captured every eye in the room. The song was clearly one she knew by heart, and she seemed to be lost in her own world. When she finished, and her eyes opened again, she found him quickly, and gave him a small smile.

He shrugged, he couldn't stay away. There was just something about this dame, she called to him, silently, like a siren with just those stunning brown eyes.

She stepped off the stage, and sidled up to the bar, just like the night they had first met.

Mike, the bartender smiled warmly at her, and turned to begin making her usual.

"Hello stranger." She said, her husky voice turning his brain to mush.

He gave her a sidelong glance, trying not to notice the way her breasts rose and fell with every breath she took.

Her long auburn hair fell across her shoulders, and he found himself fighting to not reach out and rub a strand between his fingers, to see if it was as soft as it looked.

"Here ya go honey." Mike said, handing her the tall glass, a single red straw in it.

A dazzling smile was her reply.

Ed shook his head,

"I still don't understand how you can stand the burn. I know you girls like straws in your drinks, but that's just plain crazy."

She turned to him, picking up the glass and taking a long draw, her pink lips puckering around the straw perfectly, causing his dark denim jeans to grow a bit tighter.

She finished her sip, pulled back, letting the straw go, and licked her lips.

"Oh? I'm sorry if that that bothers you."

He rolled his eyes.

"So no cigarette tonight? I hope you gave up those things." He growled, unable to find something nicer to say.

She smirked at him,

"Look at you, concerned about little ol me. Unfortunately stranger, I didn't give them up, I just need to get some more. But thanks for thinking of me." her eyes sparkled at him as she picked up her glass again, taking another large sip.

He glanced outside, the streets nearly as bright as daytime, but beyond that the night sky shone with its own light from the full moon.

"Want to go for a walk?" he found himself asking her. She exchanged a look with the barman, seeming to reassure him of something, before turning to him, setting her glass down, and fixing him with an endless stare,

"Promise not to turn into a werewolf?"

* * *

_Thanks for reading as always! R/R.  
_


	7. Mysteries Revealed

She retrieved her black leather jacket, and as she walked with Edward Blake, she found no need to break the beautiful silence.

The streets were unusually empty, and the few cars that whizzed by seemed almost in another world.

His large arm slipped over her shoulders seemingly unconsciously, but she made no move to shrug it off, and he relaxed a bit.

She felt very small, fragile even, inside his arm, but she felt right, as if she fit.

They ended up right outside their apartment building, and he looked down at her,

"Want a cup of coffee?"

Natalie swallowed. She knew what that meant, but she wasn't sure she was ready.

Ed noticed her hesitation, and frowned internally. He was dangerously close to breaking his vow, yet again. Why was he rushing her? She wasn't a hooker, much as he wished, and nothing would change the fact she was someone's daughter, and he was hoping to take advantage of her, nicely.

"Of course, it's late. Maybe another time." He said gruffly, and she nodded.

He removed his arm from her shoulders, and she surprised him by standing on her tiptoes to give him a kiss on the cheek.

"Goodnight Mr. Blake."

His eyes fell shut, and he savored the feeling of her soft lips on his skin. His nose filled with the scent of her warm vanilla perfume, and when he opened his eyes again, she had disappeared into the building.

* * *

She sighed. This job wasn't as easy as she had thought it was going to be. She was too involved. She would have to tell him the truth soon.

The truth.

The truth that she was his guardian angel, of sorts. How else to explain her mysterious agelessness? It was true she had a family, but she had more or less adopted them. They had lost a daughter, but she had fallen to earth the moment their daughter died in that car crash. She was found miraculously unharmed, at the scene of the crash. She had taken on the form of their daughter, and they never knew any different.

It felt natural, to have become a mortal like them. They had been so happy when she had woken up in the hospital, smiling at them, she had found it impossible to resist staying with them, finishing up their daughters schooling, then as she would have, leaving the nest to venture to the big city, to follow her dreams.

Singing in a bar? Harmless. She managed to heal and reach more lives through her voice then simply working as a journalist.

Instead of scars or marks where her wings had been, she had a simple tattoo of a butterfly wing on each shoulder, a reminder of where she had come from.

Natalie turned the key in her lock, and walked back in her apartment, musing about the past had worn her out. Since she had fallen, she no longer had any supernatural powers, unless she did selfless deeds, and even then it was only meager power, from healing scratches and bruises, or cooking enough food to hand out at the homeless shelter to feed all the poor souls.

She still had to eat and sleep enough herself, she was more human than angel. But the fact she only shopped half as much as a normal girl probably hadn't gone unnoticed by the sweet Asian couple who owned the grocery.

As she fell onto her bed, exhausted, the soft silk of her pillow helped her relax, and she drifted off quickly.

* * *

_Thanks for reading as always! R/R.  
_


	8. After Hour Conversations

Detective Rogers glanced around the office, and sighed, realizing he had managed to stay long after everyone else, absorbed in his work, until his lamp was the only light in the entire block it seemed.

He ran a hand through his dirty blond hair, and rubbed his eyes. A diet of coffee wasn't going to make up for a solid 10 hours of sleep. He looked at his watch, nearly 2a.m. Hardly a decent hour to go somewhere for a bite to eat.

He stood slowly, groaning at the way his back cracked and as he stretched he decided tomorrow he wouldn't sit at his desk longer than the time it took to finish up the Martin case.

He clicked off his lamp, after grabbing his coat and briefcase, making sure his gun was holstered, and his badge was clipped to his belt.

Perhaps there would be a diner open late enough for workaholics like him.

* * *

Natalie jerked awake; her nightmare had abruptly ended with a door slamming above her. A bright green light had flashed at the same moment in her dream and she turned over, kicking off the sheets that had become tangled about her legs.

Her back felt sweaty, and she sat up, a hand flying to her forehead.

"Great." She muttered. She had awoken to a pounding headache. Her mother, her earth mother, had warned her never to try and sleep with a headache. No choice now but to get up and take a few pain pills. Using her power to heal herself would be anything but selfless, and would likely leave her too awake.

She stepped into her black fluffy slippers and scuffed over to the bathroom, able to see easily with the moonlight streaming through the window. As she reached a hand out to the cabinet, she suddenly gasped.

She had just seen a man lying in an alleyway, surrounded by a pool of blood, with his police badge clutched in his hand, clearly he hadn't time to go for his gun.

She straightened up, after downing two pills, and turned back to her bedroom,

"Time for a late night snack."

* * *

As Detective Rogers stepped out of the taxicab, he smiled. It was nice to see an old fashioned diner, all lit up, inside he could pretend he was actually grabbing lunch on his own time, instead of having an extremely late dinner.

"Just a regular burger, and iced tea please. No home fries." He told the sweet old lady behind the bar counter.

He had just taken a sip of his iced tea, almost wincing at the sweetness, when he heard the bell over the door ring.

It seemed he wasn't the only late nighter.

* * *

Natalie found the diner easily, though she hadn't ever been there before. It was as if the man's spirit was calling to her, and when she arrived, seeing the only other figure inside, she sighed in relief. Whatever she had seen, was hopefully far off in the future.

She walked in, and sat down one seat away, not wanting to interfere until needed.

The man turned to her, and she smiled dreamily at him. He looked stunned, and then nearly dropped the silverware he had been unwrapping.

"Do I know you?" his voice was very deep, yet smooth, like she imagined dark chocolate would be in a melted state.

* * *

He hardly noticed when his burger was set in front of him, so entranced by her was he. He took up a firmer grip on his silverware, and found himself asking the mysterious woman if they'd met.

It was cheesy, pathetic, and yet he found he couldn't let this moment pass. Like when a path splits before the traveling stranger in a story, which fork would they choose? Tonight, this diner, he was choosing the fork which led to him knowing her name.

She had sat down as if half awake, and when she turned to smile at him, he had lost all train of thought.

Her wavy dark red hair lay on her shoulders, and was perfectly tousled, as if she had just woken up, yet her eyes held no sign of tiredness. He envied her, whatever she did, it clearly didn't matter to her what hours she kept. Perhaps she was a nurse, and had just gotten off work, and perhaps she came here often.

'Oh damn.' He thought, she had just spoken to him and he had missed it while he had been thinking about her.

"I'm sorry?"

* * *

_Thanks for reading as always! R/R.  
_


	9. More than Just a Body

The man, was more than just a body that might lay cold in an alleyway, he was truly handsome. If she reached out to touch him, she was afraid of cutting herself on his cheekbones. He had the face of a comic book hero, perhaps like Superman.

He looked exhausted, and from his attire and the vision she had seen, she knew he was in law enforcement, but she didn't know they kept such long hours.

"Ever been to the Blue Mongoose?" she asked him quietly, after she had ordered a cup of coffee and apple pie a la mode.

He appeared lost in thought, and when he apologized, she repeated the question.

"No. I'm afraid not."

"Then we couldn't have met."

He turned back to his iced tea, suddenly shy. Was this her way of brushing him off? What kind of person tries to flirt with a woman he meets in a diner in the wee hours of the morning anyway?

"I'm sorry. I just can't make small talk very well. I'm not used to being around normal people. I'm usually interrogating criminals or doing paperwork at my desk." He grimaced and took a large gulp of tea.

Natalie's heart melted. He thought she had been brushing him off.

"It's fine. It's just, that's where I work, and we tend to get a lot of strange folks there, I never know exactly when I might meet someone from there. I bet most of your criminals have been there one time or another."

Detective Rogers paused mid-bite.

"Is the Blue Mongoose…a club of some kind?" he asked cautiously.

"Yes. Not like you think. But yes." She smiled a little as she finished the sentence, reaching out to accept her pie from the waitress behind the counter.

His whole body seemed to relax. He had been afraid she was a stripper of some sort, which was not exactly strictly speaking legal.

"I sing, and dance a bit. But never without clothes." She giggled a bit, and took a bite of pie, marveling at how it was still warm, even with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream melting on it.

He shook himself mentally, and setting his burger down, he reached out a hand to her,

"I'm Eric Rogers, Detective, 5th precinct." She took it, and she could feel the calluses from his daily gun use, and from having to heal from numerous paper-cuts.

She shook it twice firmly, and let go.

"I'm Natalie. Natalie Vicks. Club singer and night owl. What's your excuse for being out so late Detective?"

She was clearly teasing, but he didn't exactly dislike the way she said his title. She was a singer, and yet even when just talking she had a hypnotizing husky quality to her voice.

He ran a hand through his hair distractedly,

"I got stuck working late again. This isn't normal for me though, don't get the wrong idea. They don't overwork me; I just tend to get a bit absorbed." He grinned at her, and she noticed it made him a bit more devastatingly handsome. Perhaps with a good night's sleep, and some coffee, he could have stepped off the movie screen, from some old detective movie, perhaps with someone like Ingrid Bergman opposite him.

They finished their food and walked outside.

She pulled a cigarette from her purse and turned to him,

"Got a light?" she held the cigarette between her fingers, looking up at him from under her eyelashes, her usual unfailing way to grab a man's attention, if she didn't already have it.

Eric glanced at her, surprised she smoked. He pulled out his zippo lighter, and flicked it open.

She inhaled slowly, making sure the tip caught aflame, and then she looked up at him, her brown eyes wide,

"Would you mind walking me home Detective?" she was desperate to keep him from that alleyway, and she had a strong feeling if he escorted her home he would survive.

* * *

Detective Rogers looked at his watch, nearly 4 a.m. If he walked this girl home, he might have to call in sick; otherwise he would be a danger to his fellow officers tomorrow.

He looked in her eyes, and found himself unable to refuse.

"Of course."

* * *

_Thanks for reading as always! R/R.  
_


	10. Dreams that Blend with Nightmares

He watched her walk into her building and smiled, even though he was exhausted, he was glad he had walked her home. Natalie was amazing. He had promised to stop by her club the next time he managed to get off work at a reasonable hour.

He flagged a cab down, and was soon on his way home.

Safe and sound.

* * *

Natalie watched him go, her eyes stinging a bit with unshed tears. She had done her good deed for the day, perhaps the week. She couldn't help but feel a bit attached to him, and she had insisted he visit her sometime, if he was ever in the area.

With all the crazy happenings since her vision, she could have been knocked out with a feather, so tired was she.

She kicked off her white sneakers and fell into the bed, still dressed.

* * *

Ed rolled over, and grunted, the sheets had managed to tangle around his legs, practically trapping him as he slept.

In his dreams he had been back in the war, and though he wasn't usually the type to run from a fight, he had been all alone, the rest of the Watchmen nowhere to be found.

* * *

Natalie frowned, her dreams became violent, and she awoke with a start, gasping as she had been seeing through someone else's eyes. Only the former Comedian would have such brutal memories as those. In dreams however, he had less control of the situations he had fought through. She couldn't imagine the pain he had just endured, reliving it all in a few seconds after waking.

Today the sun was playing coy and hiding behind a veil of thick clouds. Her room was flooded with a dim grayish light, and she found herself using her bathroom light to apply her makeup, when usually natural sunlight was her preference.

As she slipped on her black kitten heels, she couldn't help noticing her headache was completely gone, as if it had never been there at all.

She smiled as she took a large sip of her morning orange juice, today was to be a good one, despite the lack of sunshine.

* * *

The bright green of the traffic light seemed that much more garish when set against the cloudy sky, but she appreciated the color, and to counteract the weather she had worn a lemony yellow dress, the design a simple 'A' frame, halter neck, with straight cut skirt, and it showed off her swimmer's shoulders.

When she took the stage inside the_ Blue Mongoose,_ she felt all eyes on her, she reached for the mic, and began to croon,

"Start spreading the news, I'm leaving today…"

* * *

_Thanks for reading as always! R/R.  
_


	11. Flying Close to the Sun

That evening, as Eric stood outside the club, he thought momentarily about calling a cab and disappearing back into the streets. She would never know he had chickened out. But he knew he couldn't do that. He wanted to see her too badly.

The girl that had entranced him only a few days ago had never been far from his mind. It was a wonder he had been able to focus on his work at all. He ran a hand roughly through his dirty blond hair, making it stick up and look like he had stuck his finger in an electric outlet.

He exhaled loudly, and did his best to flatten it again, wiped his hands on his suit jacket, and reached out a hand for the door handle.

* * *

She finished her song, and in her usual fashion, bent over the mic, letting her hair fall in front of her face, hiding her from the crowd, as she took her bow to a nice scattering of applause.

She looked back up, her brown eyes sparkling in delight as she noticed the familiar figure of the Detective whom she had rescued sitting atop a barstool across the room from her.

She made her way down off the stage and nodded to Mike, who quickly turned back to get to work on her signature drink.

"I'm glad you were able to find the place." She said with a smile, and he grinned sheepishly.

"I'm a detective, I'm pretty good at finding things that most people think aren't there, or are hidden." He shrugged a little bit, and she found herself rather endeared to him.

He just emanated such calm and warmth. He was nearly the complete opposite of Edward. Constantly on edge, and very self conscious about every little detail was he. Natalie found herself wondering just how many knots of tension there were in his back compared to muscles.

It wasn't so with Detective Rogers. Though he clearly over worked himself, that wasn't the central cause of concern in his life. Protecting others, and the thought of failing was what worried him.

"So tell me truthfully, what did you think of the song? Not too cliché I hope…"

She ducked her head, as she waited for his reply.

* * *

Eric wasn't sure what it was about this girl, she just had some sort of aura that he found enchanting. The way her dark red hair fell across her face as she mockingly hid; in case he had some criticism about her song was adorable.

He found himself wanting to reach over and sweep it away from her face and kiss her right there and then.

"You were amazing. You should never have to worry about anyone saying anything but."

He tried to hide his cough and took a large gulp of his drink.

She laughed at him,

"Maybe you better slow down on your drink, or I might have to make a citizen's arrest to prevent you from trying to walk the streets in that state."

He looked over at her, where she perched on the bar stool, grinning mischievously at him.

She had a leg tucked up high, her heel caught on a rung of the stool, and her other leg dangling free, the shoe barely clinging to her toes.

He followed the line of her legs up to her bright yellow dress. On anyone else, it might have been a bit, loud. But for her, it worked. It made her look cheerful, and it certainly contrasted with the awful weather of the day. She was the image of what the sunlight should have been. Where her hair fell, touching her shoulders and thus resting on the dress, instead of clashing, seemed to blend well.

He imagined that if her dress was the surface of the sun, her hair resembled solar flares.

As his gaze moved all the way back up to her face, her curves still burned into his brain, he focused on her lips, a tantalizing shade of coral, that, after a few more drinks, he might not have been able to resist kissing.

He shook himself, he couldn't think like this. He barely knew her, yet he was already fantasizing about taking her to his apartment and ravishing her until they both were short of breath.

* * *

_Thanks for reading as always! R/R.  
_


	12. A Small Mexican Standoff

Natalie pulled her well worn pack of menthol's out, plucking one out to hold it between her fingers, and as Mike held out his lighter, she glanced over at Detective Rogers, catching him looking at her lips. She wondered what was going through his mind.

She blinked, and suddenly she was there, looking through his eyes. Thoughts raced across her mind, and sensuous images flashed by like the cars in the street,

'What does her skin feel like? It looks like smooth cream, with specks of vanilla bean freckles. I bet she tastes like vanilla.'

She blinked again and was back to the present.

She'd never look at herself the same way again. Knowing he desired her, and was trying to imagine what her lips tasted like, she found herself wondering just how much power she would have to sacrifice to go with him back to his place for the night. Or would she perhaps gain power for doing so?

She was torn between her desire for him and her desire to help him remain pure.

* * *

The bell above the door chimed again, and they both turned to see who the latest patron was.

Natalie was stunned to see none other than Edward Blake step across the threshold, lit cigar already in hand, and the bags under his eyes looked rather packed. The nightmare she had caught glimpses of from the night before clearly had kept him awake more than she.

The Detective turned back to her, curiosity obvious on his handsome face, but she found herself at a complete loss for words.

"Ally." Ed whispered, and as he took a deep drag on his cigar, quickly exhaling the bitter smoke, she stood, in a half trance and walked towards him.

"Are you alright?" she raised a hand to stroke his cheek, her face growing concerned at how bad he looked up close.

"Nah. Not really sleeping much. But I thought I'd swing by and say hello, maybe have a drink. I was in the neighborhood."

They both knew he was lying. The club was not on the way to their apartment building in the least, but she smiled at him, pretending to believe his fib.

"Come, sit. There's someone I'd love for you to meet."

* * *

Detective Rogers shook Edward Blake's hand, albeit reluctantly. The large man looked as if he was some sort of hit man. According to Natalie, or Ally, as she went by inside the club, he was a former soldier of fortune.

Blake growled at him,

"Always nice to meet another patriot."

Rogers smiled weakly,

"Yes it is."

Natalie could almost smell the testosterone in the room, so she called for a round of drinks, hoping to distract them both from killing each other.

She sat between them at the bar, and did not fail to notice Edward's hand at her back, and she turned to him with a smile,

"Where have you been keeping yourself? It's been nearly four days since you followed me to my grocery store."

She laughed inwardly at the expression on his face, and as he struggled to find a reply, she nudged his strong shoulder gently,

"I'm only teasing."

She turned to Detective Rogers, explaining,

"We live in the same building, so it's only expected we get our groceries from the same place."

His eyebrow raised in surprise.

"So you're like neighbors?"

She shrugged and took a large gulp of her drink,

"If living 50 floors apart means being neighbors, then, yes, we're neighbors."

Ed chuckled around his cigar,

"What's the matter son? Jealous I get to see this angel more than you?"

Detective Rogers couldn't hide the blush that heated his sharp cheekbones, and Natalie was stunned. Did he like her like she thought?

"Boys please. Let's not fight. Let's do have another drink." She waved to Mike, who sensing the tension, quickly poured another round for the trio.

* * *

Natalie threw hers back without hesitation, and Rogers frowned,

"I dunno if I could let you drive with that much alcohol in your system."

"No shit son. You might have to perform a public service and drive the lady home. Do you think you're up for that?" Ed smirked at him, after tossing his own drink back swiftly.

Detective Rogers raised his eyebrows in surprise,

"Well if that's necessary, then yes."

Natalie frowned at Ed, this was not going the way she had hoped, not at all.

She found herself placing a gentle hand on Ed's chest, feeling some of her energy leave her fingertips, and as she began to rub the front of his shirt in small circles, the fire in his eyes noticeably dimmed.

"Maybe I should be going. I had a long day today." He said gruffly, turning away from her, to set his drink and still smoldering cigar down.

Rogers gave him a brisk nod, and Natalie looked at him, her eyes wide with concern.

"Don't worry honey, I'll be fine. I'll walk home."

She nodded, biting her lip, and he leaned down to kiss her on the forehead.

"Take care of yourself."

With that, he was gone in a swirl of his long black trench coat.

"Friendly guy." Detective Rogers muttered through his scotch.

Natalie turned to him, making sure he saw the way her eyes rolled.

"He's had a rough time of it, give him a break."

Rogers raised his hands in mock surrender,

"Whoa now. I meant no harm. He just seemed a little tense."

"He's protective of me, he worries." She said quietly, watching the streets where he had left.

The worry lines on the detective's youthful handsome face stood out in stark contrast as he watched her carefully.

"Are you sure you know him? He's not dangerous?"

Her red curls swung around with force as she turned to pin him with a glare.

"I do. He might have been once, but those days are long behind him. Now let's stop talking about him. I'm ready to go home, if you're still up for escorting me, detective."

She gave him a wry smile, and his face relaxed, at least she was up for forgiving him.

* * *

_Thanks for reading as always! R/R.  
_


	13. Just a Bit More than A Cup Of Coffee

The streets weren't nearly as busy as they had been when he first arrived at the club, as the moonlight shone above them, Natalie could almost hear the quiet calm of the witching hour settling over the city, though sirens and cab horns broke through often.

They arrived outside her, and by default, Ed's apartment building, and she looked up at his stormy blue eyes,

"Wanna come up for a cup of coffee?" it wasn't that hard to deduce what else could happen if he said yes.

He ran a hand through his sandy blond hair distractedly,

"What's tomorrow?"

"Sunday. Why? You gotta work Sunday?" she asked with a smile, this time it reached her sparkling brown eyes, and as she tucked a stray strand of dark auburn hair behind her ear, he found himself momentarily speechless.

He coughed to fill the awkward silence,

"Do you have Sumatra roast?"

A red eyebrow arched in surprise,

"Is that a 'yes' detective?"

He grinned sheepishly, and held the door open for her in reply.

She smiled to herself as they made their way to the elevator, and she leaned against the rail as he pushed the button she told him to.

Her Detective wanted to play it cool, but she could almost feel the desire coming off of him in waves. His shoulders were as tense as he had thought Ed was acting earlier, and she noticed he swallowed heavily, pulling his collar to loosen it from being quiet so stifling on his neck.

* * *

They reached her apartment, and as she kicked the door closed, she hung up her keys, directing him to the kitchen, tossing over her shoulder,

"Lemme just change into something more comfortable. Feel free to take your shoes off if you'd like. It's an Zen thing."

* * *

He did so, and he couldn't help but watch her as she made her way to a room, her lithe figure sashaying as she swiftly shut the door, the sound of her dress hitting the floor not escaping his keen senses.

He exhaled deeply; this girl would be the death of him if he wasn't careful. He wanted so badly it was like an ache.

He was glad she had entered first, so he hadn't had to work quite so hard to conceal his reaction to her inviting him up as they left the elevator. His khaki's felt very uncomfortable, and he almost didn't want to remove his coat, as it was doing most of the concealing. He decided he would sit down at her makeshift bar counter and let her make the coffee when he heard the door to her room open again.

"That was fast." He said before he could stop himself.

She grinned at him, wearing a knee length pink and white sleeveless nightgown with a light turquoise wrap. Her feet were clad in fluffy pink slippers, and she made her way into the kitchen, fluttering about gathering the necessary tools for their coffee.

"So we're really just having coffee?" Detective Rogers asked, sipping carefully from the fresh mug she had poured.

He felt completely ridiculous asking her.

Natalie tilted her head, her red curls piling onto one shoulder,

"Yes. What else did you have in mind?"

He stood up from the bar stool, setting his mug down beside her, and he ran his hands down her arms, and up again, slowly caressing her collarbone, until he was cupping her cheek in his hands, he leaned close, stormy blue meeting warm brown eyes, and he gently kissed her.

He pulled back and she seemed to be in a half awake state,

"That."

Natalie carefully set her coffee cup down on the right side of the counter, and slowly moved her arms around to embrace the Detective.

She smiled against his lips.

"Much as I would like that Detective, tonight is not the night. We've both had too much to drink."

She kissed him again, and this time she breathed into his mouth, and she felt him collapse in her arms.

For a normal woman, the muscled detective might be enough to drag her down, but she caught him easily, and carried him to her bedroom, setting him gently on top of the covers, brushing her hand across his forehead, sweeping a stray blond lock out of his eyes. She bent down, and kissed his forehead reverently, whispering,

"Sweet dreams."

* * *

_Thanks for reading as always! R/R.  
_


	14. Sweet Dreams & Greetings

Edward stormed around his apartment, angrily shedding his clothes left and right. First one sock flew towards the patio window, then the other towards the front door. Eventually he was left in his grey undershirt and black cotton briefs. He ran a hand through his black hair roughly, causing it to stick up wildly.

That damn detective! He was probably doing his darndest to make his angel sing, songs only lovers could know.

If only he had been tough enough to be the one to end up walking her home.

He cursed himself for giving in to the younger man. Obviously Natalie had enjoyed the attention of him, why wouldn't she? How could he have dreamt that she cared for someone as outdated as him?

He stalked into his bedroom and kicked the door shut, flopping down onto his bed, eager for the relief of sleep.

* * *

Soft, gentle, almost silent footsteps padded down the hallway, stopping outside a room, with a faint and peeling number of, '3001.' The '1' barely clinging onto the door.

She waved her fingers at the lock, and the door swung inward with barely a whisper.

She held back a giggle at the sight of Ed's clothing scattered about the living room. Clearly he had undressed in a rather agitated manner.

The makeshift trail led to another closed door, and this one had no lock. She carefully twisted it open to find the sleeping giant.

He lay on his stomach, and she could see his back slowly rising and falling with each breath.

She walked over, moonlight streaming through the window, giving her an ethereal glow, and she slowly waved a hand over his body, causing him to turn over, and as he did so, she reached down to pull a cover over him, and she stroked a hand over his forehead, smoothing the frown off of it. He seemed to be sleeping dreamlessly, but she still hated to see frustration on his face. He should be relaxed in sleep.

She kicked off her slippers and deftly climbed into his bed next to him, pausing to gently kiss his relaxed lips, rough and slightly chapped, but still warm. She continued to stroke his forehead, murmuring quiet assurances, and made sure he would have no nightmares tonight.

* * *

Edward woke the next morning, swearing that he had been visited by an angel. He had tossed and turned in the night, but yet woken up feeling well rested and extraordinarily calm.

He sat up slowly, rubbing sleep from his eyes like a child, and noticed his bedroom door was slightly ajar. He frowned. He licked his lips, prepared to go for his shotgun under the bed, when he paused, his lips tasted like vanilla, and fresh spring water.

Suddenly something caught his ear, it sounded like humming.

He climbed out of bed quickly, and pulled the door open wide, his eyes opening as much at the sight of Natalie in his kitchen, twirling and turning about as she put together a breakfast the likes of which he hadn't seen in months.

"What? How? Why?" he found himself unable to put a complete sentence together, and she glanced up at him with a warm smile.

"Sleep well?"

* * *

His forehead crumpled together,

"What on earth are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with your golden boy?"

He growled out and she shrugged.

"He was a little too drunk, and fell asleep right after we got through the door. It's alright though, I needed to check on you, make sure you made it home safe."

She smiled at him, and he felt his anger melt away, leaving just confusion.

"Me? You were actually worried about me?"

He stared in silence at her, and she nodded,

"Don't you think you're worth it? A girl could grow old waiting on you to see how important you are to her. Coffee?"

The simple query threw him for a loop and he nodded numbly, unable to think of anything substantial to say.

She poured him a large mug of the steaming beverage, and when he didn't say anything more, she moved to set it down on the table, beside a large plate of bacon, scrambled eggs, and what appeared to be fresh cinnamon rolls.

He moved forward, as if still asleep, waiting for the harsh beeping of his alarm to draw him out of this heaven, but it never came. He reached his chair, and sat down still in a daze.

"Go on, try it before it gets cold." She said with a mock stern voice, her hand falling to rest on her hip, every bit the image of a scolding mother.

Except Ed had never had a mother like she seemed to wish to be. Mother? More like loving wife.

The morning sun shone through his kitchen windows, making her hair appear to be glowing, and he hadn't noticed until now, but she wore a delicate pink and white nightgown, rather scandalously low cut in the front, with a sea foam green colored wrap gently perched on her shoulders. Her auburn locks rested on the tops of her shoulders, making a glorious contrast with the wrap.

She was so beautiful. He was a lucky damned fool.

He ate his breakfast quickly, still worried that any moment he'd awaken from this morning, to find himself alone, cold and still hopelessly in love with an unattainable angel.

* * *

_Thanks for reading as always! R/R.  
_


	15. Vanilla Cucoons

Eric Rogers awoke to find himself tucked into a very warm cocoon. The comforter over him smelled like vanilla, and was a light green, with white flowers printed on it. So this was Natalie's bed. She had put him to sleep after he had passed out, and completely made a fool of himself.

At least she hadn't kicked him out of her apartment. He hated to think of waking up in some gutter somewhere.

He could smell coffee in the air, and though he couldn't hear anything or anyone, he still called out her name, hesitantly.

"Natalie?"

When there was no reply, he sat up slowly, groaning at the ache in his back. He must have fallen out of her bar stool like chairs in the kitchen. He winced, she must have dragged him from the kitchen to here. How on earth did she manage?

He threw back the covers, glad to see she hadn't tried to undress him or anything. However, he wasn't wearing his coat, perhaps he had taken that off before passing out…or not. He was grateful, as it would have certainly become wrinkled from sleep and he hadn't any clue where an iron would be in the apartment.

Stupid thoughts. He needed coffee, and then he would try to find her. To get answers.

He stumbled into the kitchen, cracking a smile as he saw the full pot of coffee, still sitting in the machine, staying warm.

A mug, slightly chipped and worn sat beside the machine, and it was unmarked, but he knew it was for him.

After he had downed a cup and a half, he turned back to the mock bar counter, and was surprised to find a note, scrawled in a loopy handwriting that had to be Natalie's.

It read:

_Went to visit a dear friend, will be back before noon. Hopefully you'll find this before then. Elsewise I'll need to wake you myself._

-Natalie

Eric smiled. He didn't mind the idea of being awoken by her, but obviously he couldn't. He glanced at the nearest clock; it was a quarter til noon. 'She must be on her way,' he thought to himself, and he glanced down at himself, presentable enough. Thank goodness it was Sunday morning, and he didn't have to worry about going to work.

* * *

Natalie smiled as she watched Ed shuffle around, doing his best to clear off the table, stacking dishes haphazardly and generally acting like a chicken with its head cut off.

"It's really no trouble. I can do them." She piped up, and he glanced at her,

"Nonsense. You made all this for me, I think I can handle a few dishes." A moment before one of the plates slipped from the unsteady stack, falling to the kitchen floor with an almighty crash.

Natalie winced, and Ed barked at her to stay back, lest she cut her foot.

She waved her foot at him, still clad in a pink fluffy slipper.

"I'll be fine. The truth is I need to be going." She had tried to not watch the clock, but now that she knew Ed was ok, she needed to return home and check on the Detective.

A cloud seemed to fall over Ed's face.

He seemed to be thinking along the same lines.

'Who was the mind reader here?' Natalie thought to herself.

"Of course. Thank you again." She shrugged, and disregarding the shards of porcelain, she stepped towards the large man, reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck, and pulled him close.

"Have a good rest of the day, and stay out of trouble okay?" she pulled back, and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek.

Ed felt his heart aching, she was leaving already? Had he done something wrong?

Natalie saw the worry and hurt in his eyes and was quick to assure him, with a wave of her hand,

"Don't worry. We'll see each other again soon. Good afternoon."

Ed's forehead relaxed, and he nodded,

"Goodbye Natalie."

She smiled her devastating smile, and he wondered why he had ever been concerned.

As soon as his apartment door shut, he turned back to the kitchen,

"Now…about those dishes." He muttered to himself.

* * *

_Thanks for reading as always! R/R.  
_


	16. Future Job Prospects

Eric was perched on a barstool, in a slight mimicking of the evening before when Natalie returned to her apartment, swiftly shutting her door, she turned to the handsome detective.

"Good morning, or rather, afternoon Detective Rogers. How are you feeling?"

Eric turned to her, seeing her still in the previous attire of the night before, slightly dazed. She still looked extremely ravish-able.

* * *

He shook himself, and opened his mouth to form a reply,

"I'm, well slightly confused. I did pass out here didn't I?"

She nodded, her auburn waves swishing with the movement.

"That you did. Talk about a letdown." She grinned mischievously, and he grimaced.

"It's nothing against you. I think I just had a bit too much to drink, trying to show up your large friend."

She shrugged,

"Occupational hazard. You didn't take body mass into consideration. He can easily drink much more than you before it begins to effect him."

He nodded thoughtfully, then frowned again.

"How did you get me from here to there?" he gestured in the vague direction of her bedroom.

Natalie cocked an eyebrow,

"Where do you think your coat went? I used it to move you."

Eric nearly burst out laughing. The mental image of her pulling his coat off to use as a raft of sorts to drag him to her room was comical. He sobered quickly,

"You didn't hurt yourself did you? I would wager I'm not light."

Natalie frowned internally, he was getting a little too suspicious of her. But then again, he was a detective. It was his nature.

"Mhm. You're no feather. But I managed it." She slinked towards him, and slowly pushed the turquoise wrap from her shoulders, letting it fall into a silken pile behind her as she reached him, her hands making their way up his cotton clad arms, feeling the muscles beneath, and she could hear his breathing speed up.

"Did you now?" he replied, a mere whisper.

She nodded, tilting her head to the side,

"Did I ever tell you I wished you had kissed me again? Before, you know, falling asleep?" she smirked at him, and he shook his head numbly. She raised an eyebrow, leaning forward until her lips were a hairsbreadth away from his,

"Well, now you know."

He closed his eyes, and she moved forward, closing the distance between them, and she felt his arms move around to grip her waist as their lips met in a searing kiss.

* * *

For once, Natalie couldn't muster the energy to smoke a single cigarette. Eric had completely worn her out, and the two hadn't left her bedroom all day.

When the growling of her stomach finally refused to be ignored, Natalie tumbled out of bed, hair very tousled, and she slipped only the turquoise shift on, awkwardly making her way out to the kitchen, the only thing on her mind, a nice hot cheesy omelet.

So what if it was nearly seven at night? The sun had barely begun to set.

Eric followed after a few moments later, rubbing his eyes like a tired child.

"What's for dinner?"

"Breakfast."

"What's for breakfast?"

"Breakfast is dinner."

His eyebrows crinkled together in confusion, and she couldn't hold in her laughter.

"You're so easy to tease. I'm in the mood for breakfast now, seeing as I didn't have a spare moment for any this morning."

She winked at him and he could have sworn he saw her cheeks turn slightly pink.

Natalie was trying to play the vixen, but any fool could see how she took such innocent pleasure in the thought of their day long bedroom soiree.

Eric ran a hand through his extremely untidy blond hair.

"You know, if you ever wanted to get out of the cabaret singer thing, I could probably get you a job in my office, then we could see each other every day."

She turned from the stove to look at him. His blue eyes were wide and expectant. What he left unsaid was clear. She looked away from him to reply coyly,

"Isn't there some sort of rule against dating a co worker? Especially one who is a subordinate?"

Eric shrugged, an unnecessary gesture as Natalie couldn't see him for she needed to keep the eggs from burning.

He rubbed the back of his neck, frowning at the ground.

"I guess so. We don't have to mention that. I could just recommend you be hired. Can you type over 50 words a minute? You wouldn't even have to be _my_ secretary; I just thought it would be easier."

Natalie nodded thoughtfully, she had been wanting a break from singing, much as she loved the Blue Mongoose, it always meant working late nights, unpredictable days, and sometimes being on call in case anyone else got sick.

Joining the world of working class would bring some continuity and stability.

"Oh alright. Do I need to come in to interview?"

Eric nodded.

"I'll let my boss know first thing tomorrow morning. I would say you could come by around 2 p.m.? Things should be slow, and it's after lunch so he'll be as calm as possible."

Natalie suddenly felt nervous.

"I don't really have a resume, my gig at the Mongoose was my first and is my only job."

Eric walked over, placing his large warm hands on her waist, and resting his chin on her shoulder, gazing at her fondly,

"Don't worry about a thing. You'll be perfect. Be sure to wear a long skirt though. Better make it black."

She nodded and hummed like a contented kitten when he pulled her close and kissed her cheek.

"Is that almost done? I'm a little bit hungry."

* * *

_Thanks for reading as always! R/R.  
_


	17. Successful Interview

The next day, after receiving the affirmative call from Eric at a quarter til 2 pm, Natalie had suited up. She wore a plain white silk blouse, a black skirt, with two slits up to the knee on each side, and to add a pop of color, black over the knee socks with red, purple, and green flowers printed on them. With her always faithful plain black pumps and her auburn hair up in a bun, she looked every inch the professional woman.

She stepped out of the bright yellow taxicab, craning her neck as she got a look at Eric's workplace for the first time. A tall building, with roughly 20 stories, and made of mostly brick and mortar, it looked very much like a police headquarters. She walked up to the front desk, trying to bury the nervous butterflies in her stomach, and asked for directions to Detective Rogers office.

She rode the elevator up to the 12th floor, clutching her small leather bound notebook to her chest so tightly it took every ounce of mental strength to pull it away, if only to prevent her blouse from wrinkling.

Peeking out of the elevator, she relaxed slightly as she recognized Eric's dark blond hair, as he bent over his desk, working furiously on something.

She strolled over to him, and used a single finger to lift his head up from his work.

"Hello Detective. Where am I to go for my interview?" she asked sweetly, and she felt a warm fissure of triumph shoot up her spine as she saw his eyes widen a bit at her outfit.

Clearly he approved of her in working girl clothes.

Eric gulped, and pointed across the hall,

"Just over there. The police commissioner will be interviewing you."

Natalie grinned at him, straightened back up, and rolled her shoulders back,

"Thank you very much. I do mean it." For a moment her professional mask faded, and her face was the expression of earnest gratitude, then with a quick breath she was herself again.

As she walked towards the door he had pointed to, he noticed what she was wearing on her bottom half. The sight of the bits of color on her stocking-esc legs and the black heels had him breathing hard and suddenly feeling a little feverish. Without a second thought, as quickly and as calmly as he could, he made his way from his desk to the men's room. He wouldn't be able to focus on his paperwork until he relived the pressure in his groin.

* * *

The interview went rather well from Natalie's point of view, having not exactly gone through the same thing for becoming a singer at the Blue Mongoose. When she left the commissioner's office, she found Eric, working very diligently on more paperwork.

"Can you get off early so we could go to dinner to celebrate?" she gave him a small smile, and when he glanced up, he mirrored her expression.

"You mean you got the job?"

She nodded,

"Was there any doubt?"

"Not with you looking like that." She blushed and could have sworn she saw a slight reddening of his cheeks as well.

"Is everything alright?" she asked in a low voice, leaning closer to him.

He cleared his throat, and after a quick glance around, whispered,

"No. it's not. I need you so badly. But I don't know how soon I can get away."

She could now see the desperation in his blue eyes was not about work, but was an urgent heat for her. She couldn't say she felt any different. She had drifted off several times imagining it had been him who had interviewed her, and how many different directions the afternoon could have gone.

Over the desk, under it…who knew?

* * *

After dinner they had returned to his apartment and Natalie had learned just how much stamina her body contained. Quite a lot.

She looked over to watch Eric as he slept. Moonlight spilled in through the windows, making his blond curls seem to glow, and she thought he rather resembled a sweet cherub.

Little did he know how mischievous those little boys could be.

She sighed heavily, though her body ached in all the right places, she couldn't help but wonder what Edward had been up to all day.

She crept out of the bed, careful not to wake Eric, and once she cleared the bedroom, she gently closed the door. Making her way to the kitchen, clad only in his over sized white business shirt, she quickly dialed Ed's number on the phone.

It rang almost 10 times before the machine picked it up, and she rolled her eyes.

Hopefully he wasn't ignoring her.

"Ed, it's me, I was just calling to see how you were doing. Making sure you were okay. You don't need to call me back. I'll stop over tomorrow after work and we can go get a coffee. Goodnight."

She hung up, slightly annoyed at him. Hopefully he wasn't out in a fight, or drowning his sorrows at some bar. Unless it was the Blue Mongoose. He would be safe there. He always was.

* * *

_Thanks for reading as always! R/R.  
_


	18. Senseless Violence

Edward Blake stumbled back into his apartment, leaning heavily against the doorframe before managing to push it in. He had beaten some sense into the idiot who tried to run a red light, and therefore almost kill several people crossing the street, including him. He had punched the front of the man's car, effectively stopping it. The driver had jumped out and started yelling, right before Ed's fist met his cheek. The observers had all gasped, but Ed kept on, until the man's face was unrecognizable. It was too late before he noticed the plain clothes cop who had come up behind him, whacking at his shoulders with his nightstick. Barely enough to hurt him, but enough to draw his attention away. He had turned around, prepared to snarl at the cop for not arresting the jerk for running the light, when he got smacked directly in the face. He felt his face swell up instantly, his eye shutting automatically, and he could taste blood from his spilt lip.

He grabbed the cop's wrist, deftly broke it with a single move, and began to shuffle back home.

He had almost gotten run over a few times as he stepped off the curb wrong, his vision impaired from the blow.

He didn't notice the blinking red light on his telephone until the next morning. He had missed a call from Natalie. He groaned aloud. She was probably a bit angry at him.

The message was time stamped from the previous night, and she had warned against getting in a fight. Rather ironic. Unless she could somehow see into the future. He decided he would wait to call her back until he'd had a shower and brought the swelling on his face down a bit.

* * *

Natalie stopped beside Eric's door, letting him know she was off to go pick up their lunches, and he gave her a wave and a smile, though he was clearly very engrossed in some paperwork.

She picked up her black sequined purse and made her way to the lobby of elevators. That morning had been extremely productive. She had managed to recopy almost 50 pages of legal documents, and had made sure to correct any errors in the copies she worked off of.

Her red kitten heel had just stepped off the concrete curb, as the crosswalk sign flashed green, and had barely made two steps when the world suddenly tilted to the right.

Dimly she noted that she had dropped her purse, and worried about the change that might have spilled into the street, but before that thought could finish, she heard screams.

Suddenly she felt a searing pain in her temple. She tried to lift a hand to gage where the pain came from, but found her hands and even her arms paralyzed.

A man in a smart suit knelt over her, shouting something she couldn't understand, and three other figures joined him, one an old lady, another a young businesswoman like herself, all saying something she couldn't hear. They started to blur together and she felt her eyelids growing heavy.

She finally gave in to the blackness as it obscured her vision completely.

* * *

_Thanks for reading as always! R/R.  
_


	19. Unthinkable News

Eric glanced at his watch, nearly 12:45, and Natalie hadn't returned with their lunch. Usually she was promptly back by 12:15. He couldn't imagine traffic had been so bad as to hinder her. She walked, and usually ran pretty fast.

He stood up, and walked out to the front desk, where a girl sat, chewing on her pen, and tapping her toes.

"Have you seen Natalie come back yet?"

She looked up, recognizing him, and sat still,

"No Detective Rogers, I did see her leave, but she hasn't passed me again."

Eric frowned. It wasn't like her.

In the distance, he heard a siren wailing. He stood frozen, as it got louder and louder, and without another word, ran for the elevators.

* * *

Bright white light suddenly filled her eyes, and she tried to put a hand in front of her face to block it, but to no avail.

"Natalie? Natalie Vicks? That is what you went by is it not?"

She sat up, and looked about for the source of the voice.

In front of her stood two men clad in white, one held a golden clipboard, and the other stared at her fixedly.

She found her voice,

"Yes. That's me. Is this the hospital? What happened? One minute I was crossing the street and then I couldn't hear what people were saying."

The man with the clipboard glanced up at her sadly,

"I'm afraid you're being reassigned. You, at least, your human form was killed this afternoon in a hit and run."

Natalie felt her blood run cold. Her heartbeat sped up, and she stood up quickly, startling the two men.

"That's impossible. The traffic had stopped. I just tripped. I can't be dead."

Her voice began to peter out.

They looked at her,

"You aren't dead. The mortal form you had is. You're going to be given your new assignment tomorrow. Until then, you have 24 hours to settle things with your charges. You can communicate with them through dreams. Let them know you're alright, but you won't be seeing them again."

She gaped at them, wide eyed and stunned. This could not be happening. She wasn't anywhere near being done. She had even begun to fall for Eric, and what she felt towards Ed, well, the last thing she had said to him had not been her finest hour.

Tears would have stung her eyes, but it seemed angels didn't cry. At least not over love.

She looked up again and saw they had left her alone. She fell back onto the bed, or at least the semblance of one, and tried to wrap her mind around what had occurred.

* * *

Eric reached the front door of the building, and saw the crowd in the street, heard the loud wailing of the siren, and almost ran into some people entering the building.

His heart seemed to stop, and time slowed down as he walked numbly towards the crowd. People gasped and moved backwards as the EMT's came through with the gurney, and he wanted to stop them, declare it all a mistake, as he caught a glimpse of flaming red hair, a smear of blood across a pale forehead, and he closed his eyes, afraid to see more. He looked around, desperate to face the truth, and saw a dusty black purse in the street, beside a frighteningly large pool of blood.

He picked it up, and felt his hand shake as he recognized it. There was no denying it any longer. The woman was Natalie. She had been late because some thoughtless monster had run the stoplight.

He begged to be able to ride along in the ambulance, but they waved him off, saying it was unlikely they could do much, and he felt a swell of anger inside him. He had always been calm, the voice of reason in the department, but now? Now they were saying they could do nothing for the love of his life?

Had the world gone mad?

* * *

_Thanks for reading as always! R/R.  
_


	20. A Phone Call

Ed stared at the phone, waiting for the opportune moment. At seven, he would call. She would be between shifts. She couldn't ignore him. He would apologize as soon as she answered, leaving no room for argument. He would beg to stop by and have a drink, take her somewhere nice for dinner, then show her the time of her life, make her feel things that yuppie cop couldn't dream of.

When it was 7:05, he finally picked up the receiver, dialed the number, and waited. It rang a few times, and a man picked up,

"Blue Mongoose, this is Mike."

He grinned, he knew this guy,

"Mike. This is Ed. I'm a friend of Ally's. Can I talk to her?"

The man on the other end chuckled,

"Haven't seen you around in a while, but I'm afraid Ally's not been in today. She worked her desk job today. Maybe you could give her home number a ring? Have a nice night."

*CLICK*

Ed glared at the phone, more angry with it than Mike.

He should have remembered that. She'd mentioned something about getting a position in that cop's office building.

He dialed the front desk and had them ring her extension.

It rang, and rang, and rang, and eventually clicked into the machine,

'Thanks for calling me, leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.'

*BEEP**

"Nat? It's me, Ed. Calling ya back. Don't be mad now, I let it ring plenty. Don't ignore me neither. I know you're there. Now listen, I'm sorry about the other night. I did end up getting into a bit of trouble, but it was nothing I couldn't handle. Call me when you get this okay? Be safe."

He hung up, dropping the receiver back into the cradle dejectedly. He didn't have any big plans so he might as well turn in. His face still felt, and looked like hell, so he flopped down on his back, making sure the window was open to let in the cool night air.

* * *

After a few brief images of telephones and flashes of blue mongooses tripping around, a pale grey ghostly image of Natalie appeared in his mind. Still deep asleep, he tossed and turned, wincing as he bumped his face on the pillow.

She got closer, and slowly reached out her hand, as if she was trying to cup his injured cheek.

"Edward. I want you to know how much I care for you. I know I was not my kindest in that silly phone message, and I'm sorry for that. I'm glad I got to spend as much time with you as I did. I know we never got to make love, but believe me when I say, nothing would have made me happier than that. I will forever cherish the kiss I stole while you slept that night. Don't worry about me. I'm safe, and I will be keeping an eye on you, just not as close as I once was. Goodbye my beloved Comedian."

His face no longer ached, and as he turned over again, he fell into a deep dreamless sleep.

* * *

_Thanks for reading as always! R/R.  
_


	21. Final Goodbyes

_A/N: This is the final chapter, I hope you all enjoy!_

* * *

Eric wasn't ready to fall asleep. He knew he would only be haunted by visions of Natalie's bloody mangled body. He would rather stay up all night and risk exhaustion at work. He would do anything and everything possible to find the person who had killed her, and run like a coward.

He would fight with every last breath. Sleep would not draw him into her nightmarish arms.

He lost the fight at four in the morning. He fell asleep at the kitchen table, his head cradled by his folded arms. After a few moments of being unaware of his surroundings, he heard her voice! She was singing something, a lullaby. It sounded so sweet, and he felt warmth spread throughout his body.

'Natalie! You're okay! I knew that couldn't have been you.'

She smiled sadly at him, her hair falling in perfect auburn waves over her shoulders, the pale pink dress she wore sparkling in the ethereal white light that shined on them from above. Exactly where the light came from he couldn't be sure.

"I'm so sorry Eric. I'm sorry you had to see that. I never wanted to hurt you. I was called away, on business, you could say. I wish I could have had just another minute with you, I would have pulled you close and kissed you breathless. I would have made sure you got your tuna melt for lunch. I would have handed you all the completed paperwork and basked in your smile, the special one just for me. I enjoyed every second we spent together. I will carry the memory of every touch, every kiss we shared. I do not wish to haunt you, I do not wish you to regret anything. I hope you will find someone else, someone who will love you as much as I did. Be well, be safe, and know I will always love you. Farewell, my brave Detective Rogers."

She faded away, even as the warmth in his veins lingered, and he swore he could feel her lips on his forehead, before the dream completely went black.

He jerked his head upright, his neck stiff from the odd angle of his brief respite. He rubbed his eyes slowly, and pulled back his hands to see his fingers were wet, he had been crying. The dream had felt so real. Natalie had looked perfect, not a scar on her, as if she had never been injured that previous morning.

He stood slowly, and made his way to his bedroom, unable to fight sleep anymore, and unwilling to risk falling asleep in such an uncomfortable position.

* * *

Edward woke up the next morning, unsure of what was real any longer. He showered quickly, dressed, scarfed down a quick breakfast, and made his way to Natalie's apartment.

He stood outside, unsure, listening for any motion inside. He heard nothing, so he cautiously raised a fist to knock.

After he listened to it echo around the hall, he heard shuffling inside, he felt his whole body relax,

"Natalie, darlin' you sure gave me a scare, I thought maybe you'd-"

The door swung inward, revealing a distraught and red eyed Detective Rogers.

Edward clenched his fists,

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Rogers held up a hand,

"Please, mister Blake, don't be angry with me. I just had to come here. To be around her spirit. I dunno. Maybe it's silly." He shrugged, and stood back, so Edward could walk in.

"Now, why don't you explain just what the hell is going on? Natalie called me last night, slightly testy, and I called her back, but now I haven't heard back."

Rogers looked at him with fresh tears in his eyes,

"Natalie was killed yesterday morning. Crossing the street to go bring us our lunch…" at this he broke off, his throat closing up of its own accord.

Edward felt the room start to spin.

"What are you talking about?"

Rogers coughed slightly, and couldn't raise his head to meet Ed's piercing gaze.

"A car came out of nowhere, and they think she was probably dead before she hit the ground. Though they can't be sure. Bystanders say that she tried to speak before her eyes fell shut, and never opened again." Rogers bit his lip, and glanced out the wall to wall window that overlooked the city. The sun had long since set, but the nightlights of the city were trying their best to match the suns bright shine.

Edward was seconds from punching Rogers out the window he was so fixedly looking out, when he remembered the dream from the night before. She had been telling him goodbye, she had seemed so real.

"Did she say anything? Before she left?"

Rogers finally met his gaze,

"Not really. She waved at me and blew me a kiss, but I was so focused on my work, I hardly paid her any attention. I wish to God, or whoever is up there, that I had kissed her for real one last time."

Ed glared up at the ceiling momentarily.

"That selfish bastard wanted her all to himself."

Rogers let out a cough that sounded suspiciously like a chuckle.

"Maybe so."

A large hand changed from being a fist to back to normal as it slapped Rogers back, knocking the wind from him.

"You're alright kid. If you're done feeling sorry for yourself, I'll be happy to buy you a drink. I'll fill Mike in on all the details."

Rogers looked at him with wide eyes,

"You-you want to go to the Blue Mongoose?"

Ed shrugged,

"She spent more time there than she did here anyway, if you want to be around her spirit, that'd be the best place."

Rogers smiled a little,

"Okay fine. But you're buying. I'm going to need a few doubles."

"Good man."

* * *

Somewhere high above, in the clouds, Natalie, or as she was now known, Anxo, where she would be going next, watched the two men she cared for most walk into the bar, arms around each other, finally at peace with the thought of her having moved on, and at peace with one another, she smiled.

They might stay friends, or not, either way they would always have her in common.

Love was a bond that was not easily severed.

* * *

**END**

* * *

Thanks_ for reading as always! R/R.  
_


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